TL;DR – We delve into Orion culture one dagger to the shoulder at a time

Star Trek: Lower Decks Review –

The one thing that Star Trek: Lower Decks has worked hard at is finding that middle line between being a comedic take on the Star Trek universe and being a show that would fit in that universe. While you can see that love in every single Easter Egg [there are so many]. But they don’t always get that balance right. Today, we get a fantastic example of what an episode can be when they walk that narrow line.

So to set the scene, the Lower Decks gang is still getting used to the new world where they are Lieutenant (j.g.). It comes with perks like not living in a corridor and being able to finish all your tasks for the day, but it also comes with responsibilities. For Tendi (Noël Wells), that means going back to Orion because her sister is getting married, and Starfleet wants to make a good impression after an Irion ship mysteriously vanished. Tendi is understandably hesitant, even more so when T’Lyn (Gabrielle Ruiz) and Mariner (Tawny Newsome) tag along. But hey, it is not like her sister will get kidnapped just before the wedding? … Right? … Now from here, we will be looking at the episode as a whole, so there will be [SPOILERS] ahead.

For most of Lower Decks’ run, Tendi has usually been teamed up with Rutherford (Eugene Cordero). This is for entirely understandable reasons because they make a great team. But I am glad that with their slight shake-up this season, they are experimenting with different combinations and scenarios. Tendi, T’Lyn, and Mariner make the perfect team, bringing something different to the plan. Tendi is balancing her past with her present, Mariner is balancing supporting her friend and being in awe about how kickass she is, and T’Lyn is balancing the drive to acclimatise herself with this new crew and the fascination of studying a new culture. The back and forth of this episode was a delight and played to each of their strengths.

Orions in Star Trek are one species with a lot of recognition but with whom we don’t know much about outside of their vibe. They are sexy pirates that sell their own women into slavery. We got their first iconic introduction in The Original Series and saw a growing role for them from season three of Star Trek: Discovery. However, only Star Trek: Enterprise has genuinely explored the species with the classic episode Bound, among others. Well, that has changed with today’s episode.

Sure, it is a slightly comical take on the species, but it is a complex society full of nuances that feel both alien and very close to home. Tendi’s declaration that she is not going to phone the matron of the club back left me snort-laughing. It also means that we get the most backstory that we have ever gotten for Tendi. It is good to see her get a more rounded character arc after hinting about it previously in Hear All, Trust Nothing. There is also a B-Story with Boimler (Jack Quaid) and Rutherford; it’s fine. It works for a cutaway, but it will not be the well-remembered part of the episode.

In the end, do we recommend Star Trek: Lower Decks: Something Borrowed, Something Green? Absolutely. This episode was a delight. We got a deep dive into a legacy species and a character, all framed through the comedy the show is known for. I hope we get more episodes like this going forward.

By Brian MacNamara: You can follow Brian on Twitter Here, when he’s not chatting about Movies and TV, he’ll be talking about International Relations, or the Solar System.

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Credits – All images were created by the cast, crew, and production companies of Star Trek: Lower Decks
Directed by – Bob Suarez
Written by – Grace Parra Janney
Created by – Mike McMahan
Based Upon – Star Trek created by Gene Roddenberry
Production/Distribution Companies – Secret Hideout, Titmouse, CBS Studios & Amazon Prime.
Starring – Tawny Newsome, Jack Quaid, Noël Wells, Eugene Cordero, Dawnn Lewis, Jerry O’Connell, Fred Tatasciore & Gillian Vigman with Eric Bauza, Kimiko Glenn, Vanessa Marshall, Nolan North, Gabrielle Ruiz, Lauren Tom, Kari Wahlgren, Debra Wilson & Ariel Winter